Argo Directed by: Ben Affleck Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman Rating: R Release Date: October 12, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 9/10
Thoughts by TSR: Gone Baby Gone? Great. The Town? Ditto. Argo? Based on this trailer it looks like Ben Affleck will make it three for three. I’ve been looking forward to this since first hearing about it, in part because of the talent involved, but also because of how out there the (true) story is. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch a crack team attempt to rescue hostages by posing as a film crew making a science fiction movie?
Considering how weird the story is, I was curious to see what sort of tone the film would go for. The trailer takes the best of both worlds approach, deftly mixing the serious hostage situation with the more inherently humorous plan. Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Bryan Cranston all get a chuckle-worthy line, my favorite being Cranston’s “This is the best bad idea we have, sir.”
Affleck has shown a knack for assembling great casts, and Argo is no exception. In addition to himself and the three men mentioned a moment ago, we can also to look forward to supporting turns from Zeljko Ivanek, Philip Baker Hall, Kyle Chandler and many others. There’s also stellar craft work on display, with the period setting allowing for some nice costumes, hair, and production design.
Given the right project – Hollywoodland, for example – Affleck is capable of doing strong work in front of the camera. But it is directing where he truly excels, and this film again gives him the opportunity to do both. He avoided the sophomore slump with The Town. I have little doubt that Argo will prove to be just as successful.